


Hello, Neighbor

by ladylibris



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angstness, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Neighbors, Smutness Pie, Smutty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:42:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28211097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylibris/pseuds/ladylibris
Summary: Poppy is entranced by the new guy who moves across the hall, without realizing that he is just as entranced by her. Silly rabbits.I was influenced by the dynamics in Dido's "White Flag" video, and I was also influenced by some raspberry lambic.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Comments: 184
Kudos: 260





	1. A Masterpiece Moves In

**Author's Note:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

Mrs. Haru had mentioned to Poppy last week that she’d be getting a new neighbor, something which Poppy was looking forward to. She'd been alone on her floor for too long, and a new neighbor would make for a nice change. A young man, Mrs. Haru said, had rented the apartment across the hall from Poppy, and so Poppy had naturally assumed that he’d either be a college student or a recent graduate like herself. After all, the apartments in her building weren’t fancy or in a super trendy part of the city, so the last person she’d expected to see what someone like... **him**. In truth, Poppy had never seen anyone like him in all of her twenty-one years on this planet. She didn’t even know that men like him could actually exist outside of extremely photoshopped magazine spreads - or perhaps even on another planet altogether. Planet Hotness, maybe. Planet Earth? Not so much.

As she snuck a look through her peephole, she saw a very tall man with long black hair that was tied back from a sculpted face, whose strong eyebrows slashed over long-lashed eyes of an indeterminate color, and who had a profile which served to highlight a straight nose and sharply angled jaw. Riveted on his face for a moment, it took Poppy’s eyes a second to travel down to discover that his body was as magnificent as his face, with strong shoulders and a broad chest that tapered down to a lean waist ending in long, strong legs. As he turned his back to unlock his door, she discovered that even his ass was perfection. He was physically flawless. How? Why?

“”Oh, good heavens,” Poppy groaned. “How am I gonna live next door to **HIM**?” Poppy turned and slid down her door until she was sitting propped against it on the floor and considered her options. Well, she thought, the best course of action would be to act like he was just a normal, average-looking guy. She was sure that he had people throwing themselves at him constantly because of his looks, so she’d treat him like she treated everyone else: with politeness and warmth. She wasn’t a shallow jerk, after all. Anyway, it had to be annoying to have people drooling all over you due to a random act of genetics. He couldn’t help that he was a walking masterpiece; besides, if he was not a raging self-obsessed narcissist, maybe they could even be friends? She wasn’t looking for a relationship after ending things with Julri so suddenly - and it wasn’t as if someone who looked like that would ever be interested in her absolutely ordinary self. But...she loved meeting people and was always open to expanding her friend group. Yes, that was it. Friends! 

Her course of action decided, Poppy watched him off and on as he moved his boxes into his new apartment. She told herself that it was natural to be curious about the person who’d be living so closely to her and that it had nothing to do with how attractive he was. No, not one bit. As she indulged her curiosity in the new neighbor, she noted that didn’t seem to own much of anything. Poor guy! He had a couple of movers move a few larger pieces of furniture in - a couch, a bed - but he managed everything else by himself. For some reason, that made Poppy a little sad. Didn’t he have friends to help? Maybe he was alone in the world or was down on his luck? He’d definitely need a friend, then. 

Thinking back, Poppy remembered how Mrs. Haru had made her cookies to welcome her to the apartment building, which sparked an idea. Of course! She’d make her new neighbor a plate of cookies to welcome him to his new apartment. It was the polite thing to do, and it would be a nice, normal way to introduce herself to him! Nothing too creepy or too over the top about a plate of cookies. Nodding to herself, she put on some of her favorite indie pop music before turning on her heel and making her way to her small kitchen to dig out her grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and get started. Poppy loved the feeling of making meals or treats for people; it felt nice to share food with others. Humming to herself, she set out all of the ingredients and utensils that she’d need and started her bake.

About an hour later, when Poppy knocked on her new neighbor’s door, she didn’t realize how her nose was lightly dusted with some flour or how a few long, curling tendrils of hair escaped from her ponytail. She didn’t know how wide her eyes were, or how a charming flush painted her cheeks, or even that she was biting her bottom lip with nervousness. She had no idea of the picture she presented to the man who slowly opened his door to her. She smiled, and held out the plate of her carefully arranged cookies to a man who’d never had homemade cookies offered to him before. 

“Hi! I’m Poppylan, but you can call me Poppy! Um...I live right across the hall,” she gestured with her free hand. “I wanted to welcome you to the building, so I made you some cookies. I hope you like chocolate chip?” She looked up at him with a hopeful smile and offered him the plate. He paused for a second, almost if he was shocked to find this small, fairy-like woman standing at his door, before carefully reaching out to take the plate from her.

“Hi,” he said, his voice low and deep. “I’m Tora...and I love chocolate chip.” He looked down at the plate, noting that the cookies were still warm and smiled.

Oh, _crumbs_ , thought Poppy. The magnificent work of art even had dimples. She was utterly doomed.


	2. The Angel Next Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would it help to actually talk to your crush, or nah?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

Tora honestly didn’t expect much when he moved into the latest of his long line of nondescript apartments, but he definitely didn’t expect to open his front door to find probably the most adorable woman he’d ever seen offering him a plate of cookies. If he could conjure up someone who’d tick every single of box of what he found attractive in the opposite sex, this girl was it. Long, thick wavy brown hair? Check. Large wide eyes fringed by long lashes? Check. Creamy skin with delicate rosy undertones? Check. A cupid’s bow of a mouth that he wanted to spend some time exploring? Check. And her curves? **Jesus**. From top of her head and probably down to the tip of her toes, she looked as if someone had finally granted a wish to him. Even her soft, musical voice sent a shiver straight up his spine. His heart gave a large thud in his chest as he reached out to take the cookies from her. Not quite sure of how he should respond, he smiled and mumbled a thank you to her, then stood there awkwardly in his doorway wondering what he should say or do next. After all, his experience in polite social customs was practically nonexistent and he’d never been trained on how to deal with an actual angel bearing cookies at his apartment door.

Poppy instantly took note of the empty silence and sought to fill it. “Did you say your name is Tora?” she asked, clasping her hands behind her back and bouncing a little on her toes in her nervousness. “Like a tiger in the jungle?”

“Yeah, like a tiger,” Tora responded, desperately trying to keep his gaze on her face and not on what was gently bouncing below her chin.

“Oh, how funny! You’re Tora the Tiger and I’m Poppy the Flower! At least we don’t have boring names like Timmy or Bobby! I’m glad that my name isn’t super common, I’d like to think that it makes me a little more memorable. Not that you’d have a problem being memorable, I guess…I mean, not like me. I probably look like a million other girls, while you only look like you...” 

Poppy trailed off, desperately wishing that she could just stop talking - but she’d only just noticed the color of his unusual amber eyes and her brain had apparently melted along with her good sense. _Good Lord_ , she thought. _Even his eyes are incredible_. “Anyway! I didn’t want to bother you or keep you from unpacking. I hope you like the cookies!” Poppy turned and waved, then rushed back into her apartment and closed her door with a quick snick. Tora thought that he heard a faint scream from inside her apartment, but decided he was imagining things as he moved back into his own apartment to try the first homemade cookies that he’d ever eaten in his life. 

The next morning when she opened her door to leave for work, Poppy found her plate outside of her door, freshly washed and with a note attached that read: _Thanks for the cookies. I loved them, best I’d ever had. Say hi when you see me. --- Tora._

Squealing softly, Poppy hugged the plate to her chest before quickly running back inside to place it back in her kitchen before rushing back out the door to head to work, not realizing that someone was watching her all the while and smiling behind his peephole. 

******************************

As the weeks went by, Tora and Poppy seldom saw one another as their lives seemed to operate on opposite schedules. Poppy had a very normal 9-to-5 day, while Tora’s was more of a midnight-to-7am kind of life. Sometimes Poppy heard Tora leaving his apartment as she was getting ready for bed, while he often heard her leaving for work just as he was falling asleep. Still, both were acutely aware of each other, and were attuned to every little sound they happened to hear coming from the other’s apartment. Every once in a while, they might pass by in the apartment courtyard or say hello in the hallway, but days could pass before either caught sight of the other again. Poppy chalked her fascination with Tora up to his mysterious life and his dangerous aura; while Tora believed his growing obsession with Poppy was simply because she was someone he could never be with. 

Poppy often found herself wondering where Tora was going so late at night as she heard him leaving his apartment. He was always alone - the only people who she’d ever seen visit were a very posh blond guy and a quieter young man with a goatee who had shown up when Tora wasn’t home and had only stayed for a few moments before leaving again. She began to imagine stories in her head that seemed to fit his unusual schedule. 

_Maybe he was a spy or a private detective_ , she thought, trying to fit the pieces together. Eventually settling on the spy theory, Poppy decided that the posh blond guy was yet another spy whose loud personality was a well-crafted disguise and the quiet guy was obviously his assistant. _Tora’s life as a spy must be so exciting_ , she mused, imagining him with all sorts of high tech gadgets and scaling the outer walls of government buildings. 

Tora, on the other hand, would simply imagine Poppy getting into bed as he left for the night and would wonder what she was wearing to sleep in. Did she wear a nightgown buttoned up to her chin or nothing at all? Maybe a high-buttoned nightgown with nothing under it? Maybe a flannel pajama set for cold nights or perhaps a little tee and soft shorts? He almost tripped going down the stairs to the building exit as he thought of her in an old worn tee and some little shorts climbing into **his** bed. “God, I need to get laid,” he grumbled to himself, “If the thought of a hamster in shorts is getting me hard.” 

Poppy and Tora continued to circle each other in this way, each hyper-aware of the other, but keeping their distance whether it was due to a lack of confidence on Poppy’s part or a lack of self-worth on Tora’s...until one warm summer evening on a rooftop under a blood red moon.


	3. The Blood Red Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, smut...and angst. Angst pops up to say hello and to torture poor Tora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

It was almost as if a switch had flipped. After weeks of Tora and Poppy hardly seeing one another, things suddenly changed to them oddly running into each other in the most random of places. Was fate giving them a nudge? Perhaps all they needed was a tiny little spark of something to get them started. From usually only hearing the other as they came and went, they began to bump into each other in the hallway where the first polite hellos slowly turning into quick chats. One morning, as Tora was returning from his night out, and, encouraged by those chats, he knocked on Poppy’s door just as she was getting ready to leave for work. 

Poppy opened the door, hopping on one foot while trying to put her strappy sandal on while simultaneously swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. “Tora? Uh...um….good morning? Are you just getting home?” She smiled, confused to see such a vision standing in front of her before she’d even had a chance to have her morning caffeine. 

“Yeah, just getting home now. I stopped and got ya a french vanilla muffin and something called a dirty chai latte. I was passing the bakery down the block and thought you’d maybe like some breakfast? I wasn’t sure what you’d like, but these sounded good,” he said, a light flush spreading across his sharp cheekbones as he held out the latte and small bag for her to take. It hadn’t escaped Tora’s notice that she was wearing a cute embroidered top with a flared skirt to work that day. _How is she so freaking adorable_ , he wondered, _and why does it make me just want her more_? 

Poppy was both stunned and charmed at the same time by Tora’s thoughtfulness. She finished securing her shoe onto her foot, then reached out and tucked the muffin into her bag before taking the latte from his hand. “They both sound delicious, thank you! You just made my morning! I’ll make sure to let you know later how they tasted,” she said with a sweet smile. As their fingers touched, Poppy felt a spark shimmy from her fingertips straight up her spine, and brushed her hair behind her ears so that he wouldn’t see how her hand shook. 

Tora never noticed, because he was too busy hoping that she didn’t notice the raging erection that he’d had since she’d first opened her door to him. Just the mention of her tasting something almost made his dick punch through the zipper of his jeans. _I need to get a hold of myself, dammit_ , he thought, _I’m not fourteen anymore for Chrissakes_.

“Wait a sec, I can let you know how the latte is right now!” Poppy lifted the latte to her lips and took a careful sip, enjoying the quick burst of espresso and spice that hit her tongue. “Oh, this is so good! Thank you,” she said, licking the foam off of her upper lip with a little moan. “I have to run, but maybe I’ll see you later,” she said, before locking her door and moving off down the hallway. When she got to the stairs, she turned and gave him a little wave before disappearing down the stairway.

As soon as she was out of sight, Tora dropped his head back and groaned. “Fuck it, I’m taking a damned shower,” he said, dropping his keys and bag on the couch as he moved inside his apartment. After securing the lock behind him, he whipped his shirt off as he made his way to the bathroom and tossed it onto his bed. “I either need to get her outta my head, or I need to get a fuckin’ grip,” he mumbled to himself as he leaned into the shower to turn it on, before kicking off his sneakers and dropping his jeans on the floor next to them. 

He braced his hands on the sink and leaned forwards to study his reflection in the mirror. He tried to understand it. The intensity of it, and how fast it had enveloped him - in exactly the same way the steam was filling the bathroom. He had women throwing themselves at him every damned night, but he didn’t want any of them. He only wanted **her**. He was such a fool for her, and she didn’t even know it. How could she? He closed his eyes and saw her thick hair and imagined it trailing down his chest, or how her lips would feel sucking along his neck, or…swearing, he shook his head and moved into the shower, hoping that the water would calm his raging hormones.

It didn’t. 

After shampooing and conditioning his hair, he began to soap his body in an effort to swiftly finish his shower, but his hands kept drifting down to and lingering on his still rock-hard erection. His fingers trailed along the underside of his dick to the swollen head, and he gave it up and gripped himself hard. He imagined that the hand gripping him so tightly was Poppy’s small hand, and that it was her wrist giving him the twist up by the head. “Fuck,” he growled, closing his eyes and bracing his other hand against the shower wall. “Poppy....” He pictured her taking him by the hand and leading him into her apartment a moment ago, instead of leaving to go to work - and what he’d do to her in that skirt once he’d gotten inside and shut the door behind them. His cock felt heavy and rigid, his balls tight and hot. 

When was the last time he’d been this hot for someone? He couldn’t even remember. He began to stroke faster, concentrating on the throbbing head, mixing his precum with the soap as he thought of how her light perfume had smelled against her skin, how she’d licked her lips after sipping her latte, how her cleavage had flashed as she bent to put on her sandal. Biting his lip and growling, he felt pleasure rip down his spine and through his balls before exploding out of his cock. Thick ropes of come splashed against the tiled wall of the shower as he groaned her name and panted. He milked himself, coming hard in waves until he was finally drained. It felt as though he’d just released weeks of pent up lust, but he knew that it’d just come roaring back the the next time he saw her, and the next time after that, and on and on. _Christ_ , he thought, _I’m doomed_. 

**********************

As Poppy was leaving work that afternoon, Jacob asked her if she was going to check out the blood moon that was happening that evening. “Blood moon? What’s that? Like a harvest moon?”

“Nah,” Jacob said. “It’s when there’s a total lunar eclipse and the moon looks a coppery red. It’s really cool! I’m gonna use my new DSLR camera to get some pics of it.”

“Oohh, I’ll have to check it out! I can go up on my roof, and I’m far enough out of town where the city lights shouldn’t cause too much of a glare and block it,” Poppy said, excited. She loved looking at the sky at night. “I’ll take some pics with my crappy phone and see how they compare to your fancy pictures tomorrow,” she said, laughing as she left the office after waving goodbye to Erdene.

Once home, she’d knocked on Tora’s door to see if he was around and to tell him how the muffin was (amazing!), but he didn’t seem to be home. Shrugging, she returned to her apartment where she changed into some comfy sweats and an old tee shirt before making a quick dinner and then doing some research on her next writing project to kill some time while waiting for it to get dark enough to go up to the roof to see the lunar eclipse. 

Before Poppy knew it, it was fully dark outside, so she grabbed her phone and a light cardigan and made her way up to the roof. She’d always loved the view from her building’s rooftop, but the view tonight was spectacular. Leaning against the edge of the rooftop deck was Tora, with the city skyline and sparkling water behind him and a scarlet moon high in the sky above his head. He looked like some kind of pagan god. He also didn’t look surprised to see her.

“Tora? Have you come to see the moon, too,” she asked, pulling her cardigan closer around her.

“Moon? What moon? I just came to get some fresh air,” he said.

“That moon,” she said, pointing up towards the sky behind him. “That huge, red moon behind you,” she said with a giggle. 

He turned and looked up at the sky. “Why’s the moon all red like that?”

“It’s a lunar eclipse. I looked it up, and I guess it happens a couple of times a year, but I’d never really noticed before until Jacob said something today at work about it,” she said, gazing up at the moon. 

“Jacob?”

“Yeah, he’s one of my colleagues. Along with Erdene and Gil - it’s a small office. Anyway, he has a new camera and said that he’d take some pictures with it tonight, so I said I’d take some with my phone to see how they compare,” she said, digging her phone out a pocket in her sweats. “I’m sure it’ll just look like a small, red speck with my phone’s camera, but here goes,” she said, focusing her phone’s camera at the sky and snapping a few pictures. “Yep, total crap,” she said, looking through the pictures. “Anyway, it’s much nicer to get a rooftop view, don’t you think?” She moved to stand next to him at the edge of the deck. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty,” he said, looking down at her. He seemed at little stiff to her, standing there with his hands in his pockets, his spine rigidly straight. 

“I knocked on your door a little earlier to tell you about my muffin, but you weren’t there so I just assumed you were gone for the night. It was so good! I’ll have to grab some next time I’m by the bakery. The latte was amazing, too. I’ve had chai lattes before, but never a dirty chai. The espresso really woke me up, which was perfect since I had an early meeting,” she chattered on, once again compelled to fill the awkward silences between them. She paused, giving him a chance to respond, but he remained quiet. “Well, I got my pictures, so I won’t stay if you’d rather be alone,” she said, turning to leave.

Tora reached out to gently take her by the wrist and pull her back next to him. “Why d’you think I want to be alone?”

“Because you aren’t saying much,” Poppy said, confused. 

“I like listening to you talk,” he said, “I like the sound of your voice. It’s nice.” He turned to face her, then lifted a hand and brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the side of her neck.

Poppy’s heart stuttered to a stop for a second, then began to beat rapidly. “What...what are you doing?” She started as he lightly turned her and moved her backwards until her back was pressed against the stairwell wall. Bracing his hands on either side of her head, Tora leaned down until he could easily meet her eyes. “I’m getting a good look at you,” he said. 

He stood at least foot taller than Poppy, but he knew that she could bring him to his knees with a word or a look. He didn’t make any other movements, just let her get comfortable with his closeness. Her eyes were filled with curiosity as she scanned his face. He slowly lifted a hand to cup her cheek, giving her ample time to move away if she wanted to. Instead, she leaned her face into the palm of his hand. Still, he didn’t do anything except caress her soft cheek with his thumb, hesitant to make any moves on her. She was so delicate to him, like spun sugar, that he was afraid that if he moved wrong she’d shatter. 

Tired of waiting for something to happen, Poppy decided to take the initiative and reached up to cup his face and pulled it down to hers, kissing him the way she’d wanted to since the moment he’d first walked by her apartment door. She gently licked his lips and sucked at them, trying to get him to reciprocate the kiss. It didn’t take long before he groaned and took over control of the kiss, sweeping inside of her mouth and tasting deep. Poppy moaned, then gripped his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked on it. Tora’s control snapped and he growled, pulling her tight up against him and reaching for her knee to wrap her leg around his waist. He gripped the back of her neck and turned her head to the side, going deep into the kiss. When Poppy melted against him, he suddenly stopped and pulled back, releasing her and stepping away from her. Confused and wanting, Poppy reached for him, but he shook his head. What the hell was he thinking?

“I can’t...we can’t. I can’t get you involved. You’re too good, too honest...I can’t let you into this,” he rasped, his eyes conflicted. “You’re too good for me...for this. Look, I’m sorry, but this won’t work. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Poppy was stunned. “Are you playing with me?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“ _No_! No, I’m not. I’m sorry, maybe we can be friends, but I can’t risk anything like this...or risk you.” His eyes begged her to understand, but she didn’t get the subtext of what he was saying - all she heard was the rejection of his words.

“Yeah, sure. Of course not. You? With me? And you didn’t kiss _me_ , I kissed _you_. But don’t worry, Tora. It won’t ever happen again. Maybe we can be friends, but I don't know. Enjoy your bloody moon and your fresh air,” she said, and turned and moved swiftly down the stairwell without looking back. 

Tora watched her go, and then turned and punched the wall in sheer frustration. “Fuck! Dammit!” He shook out his hand, watching the blood drip from his knuckles. For once in his life, act of violence didn’t numb the pain that he was feeling; for once in his life, he didn’t know how to bury what he was feeling under a layer of anger and apathy. Not when what he was feeling lived across the hall from him. Not when he knew what she felt like against him, and how deeply she’d already burrowed herself underneath his skin.


	4. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a week of avoiding one another, Tora has a confession to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

Poppy shut the door to her apartment and leaned back against it. What had just happened? She closed her eyes and sighed. Had she misread the situation that much? Tora had looked as if he wanted to kiss her. He looked as if he could kiss her for _hours_. She thumped her head against the door, then pushed off of it and moved into her entryway. Maybe he was just a player, anyway. God knows her heart was too vulnerable right now to waste time on someone who would just play with her emotions, but it was also hard for her to believe that she could’ve read him so wrongly, especially since she was usually so adept at reading people. Frustrated, she moved into her kitchen and began to pull out the ingredients she’d need to make some bread. She felt the need to pummel something, and the dough would make a good substitute for Tora’s face. 

The next morning Poppy left her apartment earlier than usual - and as quietly as possible - with her freshly baked bread in hand to bring into the office. She wasn’t avoiding Tora, per se, but she definitely needed some more mental preparation time before she saw him again. She had made her way to the end of the hallway and the top of the stairs when she thought she heard a door softly snick shut. Tora must’ve heard her leave and she wondered if he’d watched her walk away. 

She had dreamed about him all night long and woke with an ache between her thighs that she was determined to ignore. It was her first experience with sexual frustration and she thought that if she just pushed it to the back of her mind, it would go away. That, and by ignoring the source of said sexual frustration. If she didn’t see him, then she wouldn’t fantasize about him. Easy as pie!

Except, maybe not. 

For the next few days, she’d be in the middle of a meeting when she’d suddenly remember how he’d groaned her name; or walking back from the store when she remembered how he’d looked, silhouetted by the red moon; or folding some laundry when she remembered how soft his hair had felt between her fingers and how his skin had smelled when he’d pulled her close. Even though she hadn’t seen him all week, she was slowly going insane. 

Picking up her phone, she’d sent a text to Erdene, asking if she wanted to go out that night. Erdene quickly responded and said that she’d pick her up at 10 p.m. and that there was a new club she’d wanted to try out. _Excellent_ , Poppy thought, _maybe a few drinks and some dancing will clear my head and help me to forget him_. She walked towards her bedroom to start to get ready for her night out.

At that same moment, Tora was at Quincey’s apartment, where he’d spent the last week after watching Poppy sneak out of her apartment forty-five minutes early in an effort to avoid him. She obviously needed some space, so he gave it to her. That didn’t mean that he hadn’t spent the last week mentally berating himself for acting like an ass and leaving Poppy confused about his intentions. He definitely needed to clear the air with her, but he wasn’t sure when or if he’d ever be able to. He was also still wrestling with whether to just let it lie and die a natural death or to try to include her in his fucked up life - if she’d even want that after what had happened the other night. He’d never been this mixed up over someone and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Groaning, he scrubbed his hands over his face and dropped his head back onto the back of the couch in frustration.

“Helloooo, earth to Tora? Did you even hear what I’ve been saying for the last five minutes?” Quincey poked Tora’s side with his pen. “What is with you lately, anyway?”

“No, I wasn’t listening to ya. What were you going on about?” Tora opened his eyes and sighed, looking over at Quincey, who was in the middle of plotting out his next great romance novel.

“I reminded you that I was invited to that new club that’s just opened by my friend Jonathan. So go shower because we need to leave in an hour,” Quincey said, “...and before you say anything, yes, you need to come along. You’ve been in a fog all week, so it’ll be good to go out and get the stink blown off of you.”

“The hell are you talking about? I don’t stink,” Tora groused, thinking that Quincey had finally lost his mind. He pulled the neck of his shirt open and sniffed, just in case. Nope, he smelled fine.

“It’s a figure of speech, darling. Why don’t you wear something besides black tonight? We don’t need to telegraph our mood, now do we? How about something cheery? What about that dark red shirt I got you for your last birthday?”

“I left it here for a reason,” Tora said, hoping Quincey would get the hint. 

He didn’t. “I know! You were saving it for an occasion like tonight! You’ll look amazing, you’ll see,” Quincey enthused. “Maybe we can match....no, that’s too pedestrian. I’ll dress in something on the opposite end of the color wheel from you. I have a fashionable reputation to maintain, you know.”

“Naturally,” Tora said, giving up the fight and leaving to take a shower. He could tell that this was going to be one of those nights.

********************************

Two hours later, Poppy walked into the city’s newest club with Erdene, who seemed to be friends with every doorman in town. She was wearing her lemon yellow vintage shirtdress, which tied around her waist and ended right above her knees. She’d paired it with her navy blue wedge heels and matching necklace and drop earrings. Erdene had convinced her to wear her hair up in a loose and twisted updo to complete the look, and Poppy had felt her mood brighten to match the sunny color and feel of her outfit. Feeling a little daring, she’d left her dress unbuttoned part of the way down to show some cleavage after Erdene had teased her for looking a bit buttoned up. She began to feel her confidence return as she felt all of the eyes that were tracking her and Erdene as they made her way arm-in-arm deeper into the club. Maybe a night out was exactly what she’d needed.

“Where’s the bar,” Poppy yelled into Erdene’s ear to be heard over the thumping music. “I could use a drink or three!”

Erdene motioned over to the left, then pulled Poppy by the hand up to the bar where they managed to grab a space near one end and ordered their drinks. Once they had their drinks in hand and had settled in, Erdene leaned in and focused on Poppy, who’d been busy scoping out the club's patrons.

“Okay, Pops. Are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you? You’ve been off all week. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Poppy said. She loved Erdene, but she wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened - or not happened - with Tora yet. Maybe she never would be. 

“It’s just been an odd week. You know how sometimes you are just blah or weirdly tired for a few days? It’s been like that for me this week,” she shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it’s a really delayed reaction from what happened with Julri.”

“Has he tried to contact you?” Erdene set her drink down on the bar and scowled.

“No, not a single word, and I hope that it stays that way. Neither of us were really happy, and I hope that he realized it and just moves on with his life in the same way I’m trying to move on with mine,” Poppy took a sip of her drink, then twirled the straw around the ice cubes in her glass. “After the shock wore off, I discovered that I honestly didn’t miss him or miss trying to keep the bare threads of a dying relationship together anymore. I was just done.” She smiled at Erdene. “I know it’s a cliché to say that a weight has been lifted off of me, but a Julri-sized weight is completely gone from my shoulders now.”

Erdene raised her glass in a salute. “Bye to that bitch, Julri!” 

“Bye, bitch!” Poppy laughed, tapping her glass against Erdene’s and taking a healthy swallow.

“By the way - and _don’t_ look just yet - but someone has been staring at you since the moment we walked in,” Erdene said, leaning close to Poppy’s ear. “He’s up to your right, on the balcony. That gorgeous guy in a red shirt. Be subtle, but tell me if you see him.”

Poppy turned her head as if she was about to whisper something to Erdene and looked up and to the right and locked eyes with Tora. “Oh, mother bear,” she exhaled on a breath. “Yeah, I see him all right.” She snapped her head back to face the bar and drained her drink. “I’m gonna need another drink,” she said, waving to get the bartender’s attention. She was determined to enjoy her night, and decided to forget that she’d even seen Tora. After all, he’d made it crystal clear that he wasn’t really interested in her anyway.

Up in the VIP balcony, Tora still couldn’t believe that Poppy had walked into the club. In a sea of black clothes, his eyes had naturally been drawn to that flash of yellow, and there she'd been. If he’d thought that whatever he was starting to feel for her had diminished over the past week, he was completely mistaken. It all came back to him in a rush. 

She was like a beacon of light in a swamp of darkness and she drew him into her like nothing ever had before. The rational thing to do right now would be to just turn around, make some excuse to Quincey, and leave the club. But it was as if there was some invisible string that tied Tora to Poppy, and he was unable to contemplate leaving without at least trying to speak to her and explain what happened that night up on the rooftop. He only hoped that she’d be receptive to hearing it. 

With that in mind, and knowing that he’d need a bit of Dutch courage before he approached Poppy, he turned and grabbed a shot off of the table in front of Quincey and downed it. Quincey looked at him in complete confusion. “Uh...Tora? The hell?”

“It’s fine,” Tora placed the empty shot glass down on the table. “I was just thirsty is all.” 

Moving back over to the balcony railing, Tora scanned the crowd below for Poppy before quickly spotting her. She and Erdene had left the bar and had relocated to the dance floor, where they were instantly surrounded by men hoping for a dance.

“Fuck.” Tora growled under his breath as he watched as some idiot come up behind Poppy and try to grind on her, grabbing her by the hips when she tried to move away from him. Wheeling away from the railing with a scowl darkening his expression, Tora stomped towards the stairs. Quincey, seeing the look on Tora’s face as he rushed by, called out from behind him. “Don’t kill anyone tonight, please!” 

Poppy had just turned to give the guy grinding on her a piece of her mind when she saw Tora loom up from behind him. Tora smacked one large hand down on the guy’s shoulder and whirled him around, then bent low to get right into his face.

“Hey, asshole. Take a fucking hint and go dance with someone else. The lady isn’t interested.” Gulping, the man looked between Poppy and Tora, then hurried off of the dance floor and towards one of the exits.

Poppy rolled her eyes and slapped her hands down on her hips. “I was handling that, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But I could handle it faster,” Tora said. “Uh...can we talk?”

“Where? Here? In the middle of the dance floor?” 

“No, follow me,” he said, holding his hand out for Poppy to take. She looked down at it for a moment, hesitated, and then took it. Tora gently clasped his fingers around hers, and led her to a quiet corner in the back of the bar, deep underneath the balcony. He turned Poppy so that her back was to the wall, and he was in front of her, blocking the view of the crowd and affording them a small bit of privacy. 

Poppy lifted her chin and looked up at him, her expression carefully schooled to show nothing on her face. “Okay? What do you want to talk about?” She crossed her arms and waited.

Tora wondered where to start. “Look, Poppy. I want to apologize for the other night,” he began. 

Poppy stopped him, holding up her hands with her palms out in a placating gesture. “There’s nothing to apologize about. I kissed you, and you weren’t interested. We’re both adults. You don’t owe me an apology or anything,” she said. “We’re neighbors, and we can just say hi when we see each other. It doesn’t need to be anything more than that.”

“No, that’s not it,” he said, frustrated. “I was interested; I _am_ interested. It’s just that my life is complicated and…”

“Tora, please. You don’t have to do this. It’s fine. I get it, and we can just be friends. You don’t have to give me some story to let me down easy,” she said, interrupting him. She moved off of the wall and began to walk around him to return to the dance floor and find Erdene.

Tora took her hand again and turned her back towards him. “Poppy, dammit, listen to me. I’m not giving you some sob story and I’m not letting you down easy,” he said, his voice a throaty rasp. “I like you. A lot. I have from the first moment I saw you.”

“Don’t play me. I know that guys like you don’t go for ordinary girls like me." Poppy waved her hand towards the crowd on the dance floor. "You could have any girl in this bar. You’re prettier than I am, for heaven’s sake. Find someone else to play with, and stop wasting my time,” she said, angry now.

Tora cupped Poppy’s face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“Do you want to know what I see when I look at you? Besides the fact that you look like an actual fucking angel, you literally shine. Your kindness, and your heart, and even your strength shine out of you and you draw me in. I think you’re the most lovely girl I’ve ever seen, both inside and out. I’m not playing you, dammit,” he said, giving her a little shake. “My life is dangerous. My life is crazy right now, and it wouldn’t be right to bring you into it, but I can’t help it. Maybe if I was a better person, I could walk away, but I can’t. So I’m gonna leave it up to you. If you want to walk away from me right now, I’ll find another apartment and you won’t ever see me again. But please know this: what I feel for you, this attraction I have for you? It’s real, and I am tired of trying to fight it.” 

Poppy’s mouth dropped open and her eyes scanned his face. She placed her hands over his, then reached up and gently touched the side of his face. But she still didn’t say anything. 

Tora gave her a moment to absorb what he’d just blurted out to her, but when she just continued to look at him in silence, he tilted her head up and met her eyes. “Well? What’s it gonna be, Poppy?”


	5. Office Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poppy makes a decision, and Tora becomes her new instructor. 
> 
> *****
> 
> You know, this story just keeps getting longer and longer. I guess that Tora and Poppy want to keep playing in this story (and with each other). *shrugs*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

For a moment, it seemed as though all of the air was sucked out of the room as Poppy looked up into Tora’s eyes. Was she really here, with this amazing man standing in front of her, waiting for her to utterly change the direction of their lives with only a few words? She’d pinch herself but he might find that a little weird, so instead she closed her eyes for a second - only a second - and then opened them to find him still there. 

She scanned Tora’s face, looking for some hint of deception, some hint that he wasn’t absolutely sincere in what he’d just said to her - but she couldn’t find any. 

“Poppy? What is it going to be?” His voice was low and soft, but she could see the pulse thrumming in his neck… a sure indication that he wasn’t as calm as he appeared to be.

She knew on some intuitive level that this would be a massive step for herself and that once the decision was made, she wouldn’t be able to turn back from it. Her vulnerable heart was on the edge of a precipice and now she had to decide whether to step off of it or to back away from that edge. 

“Just how dangerous is your life?” Poppy blinked. Well. That just slipped out. That wasn’t what she’d meant to say at all. But now that it was out there, she’d just let it lay and see how he responded. 

“Dangerous enough, but I’ll protect you,” he said, still waiting, still cupping her face. His thumbs traced along her cheekbones in a soft caress.

Poppy believed that he would protect her. She wasn’t sure where the certainty came from, but it hit her like a flash. _I can trust him. He will care for me_.

Her decision made, Poppy stood up on her tiptoes, reaching up and winding her fingers behind Tora’s head. Tora’s eyes flared and then began to burn as she pulled his face down and pressed her lips against his. He let her take the lead in the kiss, slowly opening his mouth when she ran her tongue across the seam of his lips. Bracing his arms on the wall on either side of her head, he pressed his body against hers as she ran her hands up his chest to grip his shoulders and pull him in closer to her. 

For the first time in his life, Tora felt like he was drowning in a woman. He was hyperaware of every tiny movement of her body; of the heated trail that her hands left as they moved across his chest and neck, of the way her skin smelled of berries and cream, of the pebbling of her nipples as they strained for his attention. Suddenly, there came a moment when their swift-burning desire moved beyond Poppy’s experience, and Tora gladly took it upon himself to take control of the situation and became her teacher by showing her how he liked to be kissed and teaching her what made her moan. Caught in the fog of the kiss, they soon forgot that they were in a crowded club, and, although they were in a hidden alcove, that they were far from alone. 

Tora pulled back, a dark flush spreading across his cheekbones as he groaned Poppy’s name, taking in her flushed face and blown pupils. He dragged his thumb across her swollen lower lip, then angled her head so that he could go deeper with his kiss. Poppy moaned and began to press harder against him, seeking something but unsure of how to find it. 

When Tora’s hand moved to her breast, kneading its fullness before circling his palm across her aching nipple, Poppy felt a pulsing between her thighs and pulled her head back, gasping for breath. She’d never been so turned on in her life, and had never, ever made out with someone in public like this. What was she doing? They’d gone from zero to a thousand, and her brain needed to play catch up.

“Tora...I…I don’t,” she panted. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never...I mean, this is all new for me. Is this how it is for everyone?” 

“No, it’s not. This is new for me, too. Not sex, of course, but this…” Tora gestured between their bodies. “Intensity, I guess? I’ve never felt it like this.” 

Desperate not to lose the mood between them, he took one of Poppy’s hands and placed it on his hard stomach. “Poppy...I want you to touch me. Do you wanna touch me?” 

“Y-yes,” she whispered. He only heard her over the noise of the club because they were standing so close together. She trailed her fingers up the ridges of his abdomen, then down again, stopping when she reached his belt. 

“Do you wanna touch me lower?” He kept his voice soft, but couldn’t help the gravelly edge that seeped through. “You can touch me wherever you want,” he said, keeping his hands braced on the wall on either side of her head, giving her some space between them. 

Poppy hesitated, then carefully cupped the hard ridge that pulsed against the front of his jeans. Poppy gasped. He was so hard. So male. She gently squeezed, and felt a rush of feminine power when Tora dropped his forehead against hers with a growl that rumbled up from deep within his chest. She placed her other hand on his chest, and felt his body vibrate as he desperately fought to keep himself in check. 

“Do you like this?” Still gently squeezing him, Poppy slowly moved her hand up and back down again. Tora brushed his lips against her ear, nipping her earlobe. “Yes. I love it,” he rasped. “I’ve laid in bed at night and touched myself just like this while pretending that it was your hand instead of mine. Just the thought of you touching would me make me come so hard.” 

He reached down, and placed his hand on her bare thigh. “Poppy, I wanna touch you, too. Can I touch you?” When Poppy nodded against his neck, Tora’s hand moved to the juncture of Poppy’s thighs and cupped her mound. “Ah, Poppy sweetheart. You’re so wet.”

Poppy ducked her head against his chest, embarrassed. “I’m so sorry.”

“No, sweetheart, it’s perfect. It means that you want me as much as I want you.” He slipped a finger inside her panties and rubbed it against her folds. “There’s nothing more perfect.” He circled her clit for a moment, feeling her body shiver against him, then pulled his hand free. Meeting her eyes, he sucked her moisture from his finger and smiled. “You taste as good as you feel. I want to taste more of you, but not here. Somewhere private. Is that okay? Will you go somewhere private with me?”

“Somewhere outside?” Poppy’s thoughts were scattered, but she was eager to escape any curious eyes that might find them. She also knew that she should let Erdene know where she was and who she was with.

“No, there’s a room here that I know of,” he said. 

Poppy felt as though she was about to implode into a sticky puddle onto the floor, but knew that she wanted more of whatever Tora was offering her.

“Let me text Erdene. She might be worried.” Poppy whipped out her phone and sent Erdene a quick text letting her know that she was still in the club, was with Tora, and that she’d find her in a bit. Erdene texted back a quick “Be safe and have fun!”

Poppy put her phone away, then looked up at Tora. “Where’s the room?” 

Tora's smile was devastating as he held out a hand for her to take, then turned and led her down a short hallway. They made their way up some stairs and around a corner before stopping in front of a door that had a code box above the knob. Tora entered the code, opened the door, and walked inside. Poppy followed him as he closed the door behind her, locking it. When he turned on the lights, she saw not a sex dungeon or dark lair, but just an average office. 

She turned to Tora and raised her eyebrows at him with a confused smile. 

He shrugged. “Sometimes I have to do some work here with my friend Quincey. This is my office.” He flicked a couple of the light switches off, dimming the lights in the room. “Now. Where were we?” 

Taking her hand once again, he led her over to a desk and lifted her to sit upon it. He immediately dropped to his knees in front of her and smiled. “Oh, I remember,” he said, gently pulling her by her hips until she was perched on the edge of the desk and placing her legs over his shoulders. Tora slid his hands up the inside Poppy’s thighs, spreading them. Then he lifted his head and paused, locking Poppy’s eyes with his. “Are you sure you’re okay with this," he asked.

Poppy thought her heart was about to burst between the feeling of awe that he was triple-checking with her before going any further, and the explosion of pure lust that she didn’t know how to control. “God, yes, Tora. Just _please_ do it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and then pulled her panties down and off of her legs before tossing them over his shoulder to land on a filing cabinet. The moment of levity over, Tora got serious. Spreading Poppy’s legs wide, his fingers opened her dripping core for his mouth. His hot tongue licked up her as he groaned, “Fuck, sweetheart. I love how wet you are for me. You’re so fucking beautiful.” 

He licked and sucked at her before slipping one finger inside her depths. Poppy dropped back on the desk, overwhelmed by the feeling of his mouth sucking at her and his thick finger working inside of her. How had she never experienced this before? Tora inserted another finger, and curled them both up against a spongy spot deep inside of her, causing Poppy to moan and angle her hips up towards his face. Taking the hint, Tora grasped Poppy’s hips and held them up to his face, working her against his nose and mouth while thrusting inside her with his fingers. Poppy cried out, grasping Tora’s head in her hands and scoring her nails across his scalp. 

Growling, Tora sucked her clit hard between his lips before sealing his mouth over her and sinking his tongue deep into her. Poppy gripped his head harder, unconsciously riding his face and desperate to come. Pleasure roared down her spine and straight into her core, exploding outwards with a cry as she squeezed Tora’s head between her thighs and arched her back. She felt herself clinch repeatedly against his fingers as bliss rushed over her in waves. Panting, she dropped back down on the desk as her legs flopped down onto Tora’s shoulders. 

Tora stood over her, his eyes almost glowing as he sucked her come off of his fingers before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Reaching behind him, he snagged her panties off of the filing cabinet and tucked them into his back pocket before leaning down over her and taking Poppy’s mouth in a deep kiss. She could taste herself on him, but it didn’t repel her. Instead, it made her wonder what he’d taste like against her tongue. 

Ending the kiss, Tora helped her stand then knelt down in front of her to help her put her panties back on. Standing, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead. “How are ya feeling, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice a low rumble in his chest.

“Incredible,” Poppy said. No longer shy, she placed her hand on the front of his pants, feeling him rock-hard against her palm. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me; this was all for you tonight.” Tora smiled and brushed Poppy’s mussed hair away from her face. “When we go all the way it will be in a bed, and not in an office. Your first time won’t be a throwaway, I promise you that.”

“Will my first time include me learning how to do to you what you just did to me,” she asked with a blush. 

“Sweetheart, your first time will include whatever you need it to,” Tora said, tipping her face up with a finger under her chin. Leaning down, he gave her a gentle kiss. “I promise.”

Poppy ran her hands up his chest, then circled her arms around his neck. “So, umm...what are you doing tomorrow night?”

Tora smiled, his dimples flashing, and winked at Poppy. “I have a date a gorgeous girl who lives across the hall from me,” he said, taking her hand and leading her out of the office. “What are you doing tomorrow night?” 

“Me? Oh, I’m going to have amazing sex with this hot guy who lives in my building,” she said. “After dinner and dessert, of course,” she said with a shrug.

Tora suddenly turned and pushed Poppy up against the wall of the hallway, pressing his hips against her so that she felt his still-raging erection. “It’s a date, sweetheart. I'll see ya tomorrow night for dinner. At eight. I won't be late.”


	6. Dessert for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner is served, but dessert turns out to be the main course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters in this work are the IP of the brilliant Lilydusk and follow her fanfic guidelines. All of the characters belong solely to Lilydusk and were merely the inspiration for this bit of nonsense.

Promptly at eight o’clock the next evening, Poppy heard a knock at her door. Tora had texted her that morning to let her know that he’d be bringing some takeout for their dinner, so she’d made a sponge cake with fresh strawberries for their dessert. She hoped that he didn’t mind strawberries… but what if he preferred something like melon instead? Shrugging to herself, she guessed that she’d find out, but she had made sure not to top the cake with them but to place them around the cake on the platter instead, just to be on the safe side.

Standing before the door, Poppy took a moment to smooth her hair before opening it. She’d left it down and loose around her shoulders, trying to keep her look casual with a cute flower patterned top and a nice pair of shorts. Centering herself with a deep breath, she swung the door open to see Tora, his hands laden with takeout bags. She felt a blush flood her cheeks as he leaned down and kissed her forehead in greeting.

“Hi, Poppy. I hope you’re hungry.” Pulling back, he smiled and flashed his dimples at her. 

Poppy stood back to let him into her apartment, trying not to pant as she scanned him from head to toe. His black v-neck tee and gray shorts revealed tattoos that she’d never seen before, and her mouth went completely dry at the sight of them. Was that a tiger wrapping around his calf? Just how far up did it go? The full sleeve tattoos on both of his arms were stunning and they made her wonder what other surprises he had waiting for her. Tora was like one of those nesting dolls: as she uncovered each new layer of his personality, there was always another intriguing layer yet to be revealed.

“Yes, I’m starving!” The fact that she was hungry for more than just their dinner went unsaid. 

“I stopped at Alice’s to pick up the food, so there should be a nice variety to choose from. She also packed some extra bottles of sake for us for some reason, although she knows I always drink green tea.” 

Poppy led Tora to her little dining area, where she had already laid out the dinnerware and utensils for them. “Well, it’s a good thing then that I love sake! The food smells delicious!” 

They both reached for the same bag at the same time and brushed hands, causing Poppy to pluck hers back in reflex.

Instead of being hurt by this, Tora reached out and took her hand. “Hey, it’s okay. There’s no reason to be nervous, we’re just gonna have some dinner and get to know each other better. The food from Alice’s restaurant is always great, and she gives a lot of options to choose from.” He gave her hand a light squeeze before letting go to unpack the food.

Poppy tucked some hair behind her ear and gestured to the cushions on the floor. “Ummm...please sit!” She tried to kneel to the floor gracefully, knowing her habit of plopping down, and was mostly successful in doing so. Happy that she didn’t make an idiot of herself, she began to lose some of her nervousness.

Once they were seated with all of the food spread out before them - and after a couple of sips of sake - Poppy relaxed and began to enjoy herself. She soon realized that she didn’t need to fill in any of the silences between them with chatter. There was a strange sort of comfort to be found when you didn’t feel as though you always had to make conversation while with someone - that silence, in itself, could be comfortable with the right person.

Tora offered her different dishes, making sure that she’d tried a little bit of everything before tucking into his own meal.

“This was great, but I still think your cookies were better,” he said, smiling at her over the top of his cup before taking a sip of his tea. “You know something? I’d never had homemade cookies before. You were the first one to ever make them for me. Not sure if I ever told you that.”

Poppy took another swallow of her sake, then blinked in surprise. “Really? Well, I’m glad that I was the one who was the first to make them for you.” She smiled, happy that her small gesture had brought him some pleasure. “If you liked the cookies, then I’m sure you’ll love the sponge cake that I made this morning. It’s another one of my grandmother’s recipes.” That reminded her. “Wait...do you like strawberries?”

Tora’s smile was devastating. “Mmmm. I love strawberries.”

Poppy smiled in relief. “Oh, good. I wasn’t sure, and was afraid you were more of a citrus or melon guy.”

“I’m definitely a strawberry guy. I drink strawberry juice all the time...and actually, it’s part of the reason why I love how you taste.” Tora licked his lips, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

Poppy’s heart began a rapid thumping in her chest. Wait, what did he just say? “H-how...how I _taste_?”

“Mmmm. Yeah. To me, you taste like berries. Berries with some cream and a little bit of vanilla on top. You’re one of the best things I’ve ever had on my tongue.” He placed his cup down on the table and leaned back, seeming to enjoy the blush that zoomed across her face.

Flustered, Poppy hopped to her feet. “I...I’ll go get the cake and the, uh, fruit.” She’d never met a man who could disconcert her so quickly, or who could make her want to strip him naked to jump on him the way that Tora did. Hurrying into the kitchen, she braced her hands against the sink in an effort to slow her heart rate before returning to the table with the dessert. 

Tora followed her into the kitchen and stood close behind her. Very close. She felt him gather her loose hair with one hand, then place it over her shoulder, leaving the back of her neck bare. He traced a finger in little circles along the skin he’d exposed. “Sweetheart? I think I’d like to have dessert in the kitchen.”

“Okay? I-”

“Yeah, and the dessert I’m thinking of isn’t cake.” He traced a finger down her spine and back up again. Poppy felt an electric current follow the path of his finger that tightened her nipples and made her sex clench. 

“W-what kind of dessert do you want?” Her voice was the barest kind of whisper as her fingers curled around the edge of the sink.

Tora leaned forward and nuzzled the back of her neck. “Well, I’ve been starving for this particular dessert for several weeks now.” He reached around her to where she had the cake and strawberries on a dish on the counter and nabbed a fat strawberry from off of the platter. 

“This dessert has the softest skin I’ve ever touched.” He gently ran the tip of the strawberry across the bare skin between her shoulder and neck, then along the shell of her ear. “I’ve been thinking about this dessert day and night since I first slapped eyes on her. I’m absolutely famished for her.” His voice rumbled in her ear, his words causing her to sway back against him. "I’ve never craved anything like her.” She whimpered. His other hand slid across her shoulder, running down her arm to thread his fingers with hers. He turned her to face him, and she saw that his eyes seemed to glow, the amber of them burning her and making her feel exactly how much he wanted her.

Her body flared like a tinder from the spark of those eyes, and she watched as he gently sucked the tip of the strawberry into his mouth, before removing it and dragging the berry along her lower lip. 

He held it out to her. “Take a bite.” 

Keeping her eyes locked with his, Poppy’s head moved forward and she gently took the strawberry between her teeth, slowly biting down on it and watching his face as some of the juice dribbled down her chin. A flush of red spread across his high cheekbones and a deep sound resonated up from his chest.

Once she had a piece of the strawberry between her teeth, Tora dropped the remainder into the sink, then lifted her to sit on the counter before bracing his hands on either side of Poppy’s hips, caging her in. “Now,” he said, his eyes focusing on her berry-wet mouth, “Kiss me.”

Poppy slowly slid her hands up Tora’s chest, dug her fingers into his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers. She opened her lips and he dove inside, scooping the piece of strawberry out of her mouth and swallowing it, before tangling her tongue with hers. He didn’t kiss her. He consumed her. He explored her mouth as if he owned it, and Poppy wasn’t sure that he didn’t actually own it - and her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him in closer to her as he gripped her hips to grind her against him. The kiss quickly took fire, with Tora growling as he licked and sucked his way down Poppy’s neck to her collarbone. Poppy never knew that men could actually growl until she met Tora. She felt so luscious that he made her want to purr in response. She scraped her nails across his scalp as he began to knead first one breast, then the other, sucking at her nipples through her thin shirt and bra. 

“Tora?” His name came out on a gasp of pleasure. He mumbled a response against her shirt. “Tora, take off your shirt. I want to see you...your tattoos.”

Without a word, Tora straightened up and pulled his shirt over his head. 

“Oh...my...stars.” He was so incredible that for a moment, Poppy couldn’t believe that he was actually real. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time all over again. She reached out with her hands to trace the petals of the peonies and the scales of the koi fish that decorated his pecs. Her fingers followed the deep colors as they spread across his shoulders and biceps and down his forearms, then moved back up to his chest, spreading wide as her thumbs brushed against his nipples. She knew that his body would be cut hard, but the tattoos took her breath away.

“Your tattoos are so beautiful.” Poppy swayed into Tora’s chest and rested her cheek next to his heart, listening to its rapid thud against her ear. Turning her face, she started to gently kiss her way from one side of his upper chest to the other, scraping her teeth against him and immersing herself in the spicy cedar scent of his skin. Still nuzzling his skin, she sighed, gripping his sides. 

Lifting her face, she met his eyes as he brushed her hair back from her face. “I don’t want this to be some sort of rebound relationship. I don’t want to be vulnerable, but I also don’t want to miss out on this if this has a chance of being something real.” 

Poppy ducked her head back into Tora’s chest, afraid that he’d push her away or tell her that he wasn’t after something serious.

She needn’t have worried.

Tora stepped back and bent down until his face was level with Poppy’s. Gripping her chin with his fingers, he ran a thumb over her swollen bottom lip. “Poppy, sweetheart, don’t you know? I’ve been yours since the moment I opened my door to find you standing there with a plate of cookies. Whatever heart I have left belongs to you. If you’re willing to take a chance on this, then so am I.” 

Poppy threw her arms around his neck and laughed. “Oh, I’m willing. I’m all in!”

“So you’re gonna be my girl?” 

“Yes, I'm your girl. Let’s make it official,” she said, wrapping her legs back around his waist. “I’m sure you noticed my bed earlier…”

He had. Poppy was amazed by his strength as he lifted her easily from the counter and turned towards her bedroom. Dropping her on the bed, he stood over her and reached for the button on his shorts. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart. We won’t do this unless you’re ready.”

Poppy sat up and whipped her shirt over her head before reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. “I’m ready.” 

Tora’s eyes heated when she tossed her bra to the side. Her breasts were the most beautiful that he’d ever seen, round and full with soft pink nipples. He almost came in his shorts at the sight of them. Shaking his head to clear it, he reminded himself that this was not his night, but hers. It was all for her.

Scooting forward, Poppy sat on the edge of her bed and reached for Tora’s zipper. Biting her lip, she slowly unzipped his pants, sucking in her breath when she realized that he’d gone commando. Well, now she knew just how far up his tiger tattoo went, but that was an exploration for another time. Pushing his shorts down, she tentatively reached out and tried to wrap her fingers around him - but her fingers couldn't touch. His skin was so soft, but that soft skin surrounded a hard, pulsing core. Since this was Poppy’s first up close and personal experience with a man’s dick, she wasn’t sure if this was normal or not, but had a feeling that Tora was larger than most men. Her panties soaked, and she felt her core softening for him.

“What should I do?” She raised her eyes, looking up at Tora.

He ran his fingers through her hair, smiling. “Do whatever you want to do.”

“Um...okay.” Gripping him by the base, Poppy licked along the underside of his cock before taking the engorged head between her lips. She sucked hard, and stroked the crown with her tongue. She’d read that in a book somewhere and was curious to see if it worked. Tora’s head dropped back and he let out a raspy moan. Yes, that totally seemed to work. Encouraged by his reaction, she began to trace the thick veins along his cock the way she’d traced the lines of his tattoos earlier. He tasted of salt and man. 

The soft pouch underneath him intrigued her, so she cupped it gently, testing its weight. His testicles felt heavy and larger than she’d imagined they would be. Everything about him seemed bigger and more masculine than she thought the average guy would be. She nuzzled her face against his sac before turning attention to the throbbing cock above her. She wanted to see if she could make Tora lose his incredible control. What would that look like? Placing her hands on his thighs, she relied on her instincts and what tips she’d read online and worked her mouth up and down his cock, making sure to wrap her lips around her teeth to provide him with the wet heat and suction that he needed. She’d just found her rhythm when his control snapped so suddenly that it almost made a cracking sound. 

“Fuck, Poppy! Oh, fuck!” Pulling himself away from her with a gravelled snarl, Tora lifted Poppy underneath her arms and tossed her back onto the bed. Leaning over her, he quickly undid the buttons on her shorts and pulled them and her panties down her legs before tossing them over his shoulder. Without any preamble, he dropped to his knees and, pulling her legs apart, he began to suck and lick at her core like he was famished for her. Inserting one finger, he curled it up inside of her, searching for her g-spot. She gasped loudly and grabbed him by the hair. There it was. He inserted another finger, scissoring them to widen her for him. When she began to cant her hips up against his face, he knew that she was close.

“C’mon sweetheart. I need you to come for me.” His voice was a rough rasp against her sex. Grabbing her thighs, he spread her wide and sucked her clit hard. Poppy broke with a scream, undulating against his face. Tora helped her to ride her orgasm out before gentling her. She relaxed into the mattress with a sigh as Tora crawled up over his body. He held a condom between his fingers.

“Poppy? Are you ready?” This decision was solely hers. If she wanted him to get dressed right now and leave, he’d do so. 

Poppy reached up and brought his face down for a kiss. “Yes, I’m ready. I want you inside of me. Now, Tora.”

Tora ripped the foil packet open with his teeth, then quickly rolled the condom on. Settling between Poppy’s legs, he positioned himself then looked down at her. “Poppy, this will hurt a little at first. Tell me to stop if it hurts too much, okay?” 

He waited until she nodded, then slowly began to inch his way inside of her. The thick width of his head spread her inner lips as he nudged his ridged crown inside her. He’d never felt anything so hot and tight. It felt as though she were made just for him, and he just for her. They were like a lock and key. Gritting his teeth, he had to stop himself from spilling himself inside of her right then and there.

Taking his time, he waited until Poppy’s body relaxed, then pushed the rest of the way inside, finally bottoming out in her depths. His balls rested against her ass; she was able to take all of him. God, she was fucking perfect. 

“Are you okay? Does it hurt,” he asked, his eyes filled with concern. Even though his body was screaming for him to start thrusting, he held himself in check.

“At first it hurt a little, but now I just feel full. I feel myself stretching around you.” When Tora slowly pulled out and thrust back in, Poppy moaned. “Oh, God, Tora. Do that again. Please!”

“Wrap your legs around my hips, sweetheart,” he said, bracing himself up on his elbows. When she did, Tora began to thrust, slowly at first, then increasing in speed and power as Poppy moaned his name, her hands sliding down his back to grip his ass. 

Soon they were both lost. Poppy’s headboard slammed into the wall as Tora pounded into her, but she never knew it. She was so consumed with Tora, her senses attuned to his every movement; to his deep groaning breaths, to the slapping of his skin against hers. His spicy scent surrounded her as he dropped his head against her neck and lifted her hips to receive all that he was giving her. Poppy’s bedroom was filled with the wet sounds of their bodies moving together as Tora began to move with a sense of urgency, his hips pumping into her with a fierce rhythm, deep and hard.

Poppy scored her nails down his back, her gasping moans licking against his ears with every thrust. He knew that he was about to come, but he wouldn’t allow himself to do so until Poppy came again. 

“Come for me again, Poppy. I need to feel you come for me, now.” Tora reached down between their bodies and rubbed his fingers against Poppy’s clit as he angled his thrusts higher against her. He felt her squeeze her walls around his cock, and knew that she was close. “Poppy, I can’t come until you do. Do it. Come for me,” he growled, leaning down to nip her on the neck. Poppy broke with a strangled gasp, and her core began to milk his cock as she came hard.

Tora ground against Poppy, then snarled as he started to come. “Fuck, Poppy. I’m gonna come so fucking hard!” He pulled Poppy’s hips in tight against his, pumping rope after rope of thick come into her. Her core continued to milk him in waves, pulling every last drop of hot come out of him before he dropped his forehead against hers and rolled them to the side so that he wouldn’t crush her with his weight. Panting together, they both tried to absorb what had just happened between them.

“Holy shit,” Tora panted. “That was amazing.” He pushed Poppy’s sweaty hair away from her forehead. “Are you okay? Was that good for you?”

“I didn’t know my body could feel like that,” Poppy said. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She cuddled up against his chest. “Now I know what all the fuss is about. Is sex always like this?”

Tora squeezed her tightly against his side. “No, not even close. But for us? Yeah, I think it’ll always be like this.” He kissed her forehead. “How about we have that pound cake for breakfast? I have a feeling we’re gonna be starving.”

“Starving, huh?” Poppy folded her arms on his chest, then kissed his chin.

“Famished. My girl is going to need at least two more orgasms before she can sleep, so I have some work to do,” Tora said with a wink. “Well, after we take a short break first.”

“So I’m officially your girl?”

“Signed, sealed, and delivered, sweetheart. I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

“I’m so glad that you moved in across the hall from me,” Poppy said.

“I’m so glad that I opened my door to a small angel when she knocked.” Tora gathered Poppy up on top of him and kissed her deeply. “Best damned decision I ever made.”


End file.
